What exactly is mental health? How is it different from mental illness? What can you personally do to ensure a balance between your mental health and physical wellbeing? 

To answer these and other related questions, we invited Dr. Anurag Kumar, AdLife Hospital’s Medical Director and Senior Specialist (Internal Medicine), to share his extensive experience in treating minor mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, and his more than 29 years of practice in various hospitals in India and Oman, in creating better awareness to everyday challenges that can affect mental health. 

Following are his replies to a TAS Weekly questionnaire:

Why is mental health awareness important? 

In 2019, 1 in every 8 people, or 970 million people around the world were living with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depressive disorders the most common. In 2020, the number of people living with anxiety and depressive disorders rose significantly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Stress is classified as the main culprit in both physical and mental health issues. What, according to you, is needed to keep stress at bay?

We can decrease stress by maintaining a normal routine. Being positive, working out, going for long walks, spending more time outdoors, eating healthy well-balanced diet, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough proper sleep, engaging in self-relaxation, practicing mindfulness, accepting things one cannot change, being assertive instead of being aggressive, hanging out with friends, spending time with family and connecting with others socially, can help in mitigating stress. 

What is the importance of mental health on our bodies?

Mental health is important because it can help one to work productively, realize ones full potential, cope with stresses of life, be physically healthy, have good relationships and make meaningful contributions to the community. 

Conversely, mental disorders involve significant disturbances in thinking, emotional regulation, or behavior. Patients with severe mental illnesses have a lower quality of life than the general population, because their mental illness makes it harder for them to accomplish many of their daily tasks, reducing their level of independence and resulting in low self-confidence and esteem.

What are some common misconceptions about mental health? 

1. Mental health is the same as mental illness: Mental health and mental illness are related, but distinct. Mental health refers to one’s overall psychological and emotional well-being, while mental illness, diagnosed by a healthcare professional, denotes changes in emotions, moods, or behaviors that cause distress or impair daily functioning. Examples include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

2. It is obvious when someone has mental illness: Mental illness is largely invisible. Even in new or untreated mental illness, many people are good at hiding their symptoms (often due to stigma.)

3. People with mental illness are often violent: Experts agree that mental illness alone is not a predictor of violence.

4. Mental illness can only be treated with medication: Medication can be an effective tool for managing the symptoms of some mental illnesses, but it is often one part of a broader treatment plan. In some cases, evidence-based psychotherapy such cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can have similar effects to drug treatments.

5. Some people are immune to mental illness: No one is immune to mental illness, but risk and protective factors can play a big role. Risk factors are things like poverty, childhood trauma, and inadequate housing. Protective factors include strong social connections, meaningful employment, and physical activity.

6. Mental illness is a lifelong diagnosis: Mental illness is treatable. It is possible to recover and even thrive following a mental illness. Recovery can involve the complete resolution of a mental health problem, but it can also be about having a renewed focus on personal control, resilience, and day-to-day functioning.

7. People with mental illness don’t make good employees: People with mental illness can excel at work, just like anyone else. Many mental illnesses are episodic, meaning a worker may experience highs and lows, not unlike someone with a physical health condition.

8. Talking makes it worse: Talking openly about mental health reduces misconceptions and stigma, encouraging those suffering to seek help and support. It’s important for caregivers, friends, and loved ones to understand the impact that mental health has on daily life. It helps those with mental illness feel less alone and find therapy and coping mechanisms. Spreading awareness allows people to discuss symptoms and understand their feelings.

How can schools, workplaces, and communities promote mental health awareness and remove the stigma?

Mental health conditions can cause difficulties in all aspects of life, including relationships with family, friends and community. They can result from or lead to problems at school and at work. 

These conditions are not the individual’s fault and can have hereditary, genetic, neurological, or biological factors. Environmental factors often outside one’s control can also cause or worsen mental health issues. Common mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, can affect nearly anyone, with at least 40 percent experiencing them in their lifetime.

Public stigma involves negative or discriminatory attitudes towards mental illness, while self-stigma is the internalized shame individuals with mental illness may feel. Schools, communities, and workplaces can spread awareness, improve understanding, provide education, and create more opportunities for employment and social interaction.

What barriers do individuals face when seeking mental health treatment; how can these barriers be addressed?

Health systems have not yet adequately responded to the needs of people with mental disorders and are significantly under resourced.  The gap between the need for treatment and its provision is wide all over the world, and is often poor in quality when delivered. For example, only 29 percent of people with psychosis and only one third of people with depression receive formal mental health care. People with mental disorders need support for educational programs, employment, housing, and participation in other meaningful activities.

Courses like Mental Health First Aid train people to recognize the signs of declining mental health and equip them with the tools to respond appropriately.

What are some effective strategies for promoting mental wellness?

Considering that most of the earlier strategies to enhance mental health have not succeeded over the past six decades or more in less-developed countries, the time has come to take on a new approach with renewed vigor. 

Here are steps to develop effective mental health awareness strategies: Education and understanding of mental health issues: Stay up-to-date with latest research and information.

Collaboration with experts: Seeking guidance from mental health professionals, counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists can help provide valuable insights and create strategies that are evidence-based and effective.

Set clear objectives and defined goals: Aim to reduce stigma, increase awareness, or provide resources.

Target audience: Identify target audience, which may be a specific demographic, such as youth, employees, or a particular community.

Counseling service: This can be valuable resource for individuals seeking mental health support.

Awareness: Create campaigns, events, or workshops to raise awareness about mental health issues; use channels such as social media, flyers, and community gatherings, to reach a wide audience.

What role do family members and caregivers play in supporting individuals with mental health challenges?

Family members play a major role in mental health. A combination of individual, family, community, and structural factors can protect or undermine mental well-being. While most people are resilient, those exposed to adverse circumstances – such as poverty, violence, disability, and inequality – are at higher risk. Protective and risk factors include psychological and biological aspects, like emotional skills and genetics, which influence brain structure and function. People with mental disorders need social support to develop and maintain personal, family, and social relationships.